Shenandoah

We visited too many cities on our Tour d'East Coast and the mountains were calling us.  Shenandoah National Park is perched on the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Western Virginia.  These mountains are beautifully different from the ones I've fallen in love with in Montana.  Instead of rocky outcroppings and grueling trails in excess of 10,000 feet, the Blue Ridge Mountains are a gently folding blanket of green trees with gorgeous sun-streaked trails.

The trees were just starting to change colors, but still monotonous enough to make every pull-out look the same.  The road is nice, but the hiking trails are spectacular.  We only had time to do two short trails.  The first one was the Old Stony Man trail, which leads you up to the second-tallest point in the park, a mere 4,010 feet.  We stayed in the Skyland Lodge, which is right next to the Old Stony Man trailhead.  By the time we got checked in and put our gear on, it was 45 minutes until sunset.  Even though the sign at the trailhead told us it would take 2 hours to complete the circuit, we left with 30 minutes to spare and got to the summit to see the sun dip behind a neighboring mountain and were down in less than 45 minutes.

Sunset over Shenandoah Valley

Old Stony Man actually starts on a portion of the Appalachian Trail, which spans from Georgia to Maine, so now I can officially claim I've hiked the Appalachian Trail. :P  It was impressively lovely, especially this time of year with the trail lightly covered in leaves and the sun shining through the yellowing trees.

Appalachian Trail

The next morning, we tackled Hawksbill summit.  We did a three-mile loop that also encompassed part of the Appalachian Trail and ended up on the rooftop of Shenandoah, 4,050 feet.  The view was nice, but there's something to be said for busting your butt all day to get to the top of a really tall mountain vs. doing a jolly 2-hour hike to the highest peak in a park.  I miss Glacier.  Still, there was a fantastic view at the top that is worth the easy walk.

 Hawksbill Summit

South of the park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, which connects Shenandoah to Great Smoky Mountains National Park begins.  I actually liked the scenery on this road better than the parks' - it was a bit more dramatic and in some places more of the trees had begun to change colors so it was very spectacular.

 Trees Outside Skyland Lodge